Aging & Health A to Z

Fecal Incontinence

Basic Facts & Information

What is Fecal Incontinence?

Fecal incontinence happens when you cannot control your bowels long enough to get to a bathroom. Healthcare professionals will diagnose adults with fecal incontinence if this happens more than once for at least a month. Between 2% and 7% of adults have fecal incontinence. Most of these persons are older adults in poor health.
Fecal incontinence can be very upsetting and inconvenient, but you should not let being embarrassed by it stop you from getting help from your healthcare provider. There are a wide variety of treatments for this condition.

Updated: March 2012
Posted: March 2012